


Self-Transfiguration

by IhaveAbadfeelingAboutThis



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Aberforth is a good brother, Family Fluff, Gen, Kid Fic, Slytherin!Aberforth, Trans Male Character, Trans!Albus, Transitioning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:40:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23371090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IhaveAbadfeelingAboutThis/pseuds/IhaveAbadfeelingAboutThis
Summary: Going to Hogwarts meant that the Dumbledore twins were going to have to split up. The younger twin was going to have to stay in the girls' dorm and wear girls' clothing and be called 'Alma.' It was intolerable. Surely Mother would see that this wasn't sustainable?
Comments: 12
Kudos: 16





	Self-Transfiguration

~1~ 

“Aberforth Dumbledore!” the Headmaster’s wife called. Alma reluctantly released Aberforth’s hand. They had never been separated, not since the womb. At home, they even shared a room. A bed, when they were very young. That would not be possible any longer.  
“Slytherin!” called the Sorting Hat. 

“Alma Dumbledore!”  
It was Alma’s turn. Time to put on the Hat.  
_‘Slytherin. Please put me in Slytherin.’  
‘Why Slytherin?’  
‘Well, Abe –‘_

_‘Your twin is loyal only to his family, has no time for high ideals, and values strategic deceit over bravery. He belongs in Slytherin. You on the other hand… My – you are brave, aren’t you?’  
‘What – I’m not brave! I’m terrified to be separated from Abe, I’m scared of Muggles, I –‘  
‘You know very well what I mean, ‘Alma.’ You have been brave to pretend to be something you are not. And you are going to do something even more brave soon enough, aren’t you? You are not going to tolerate this lie for much longer. No. You are not a Slytherin. Better be –‘_

“GRYFFINDOR!”  
A happy shout went up from the Gryffindor table. Alma shot an apologetic look at Aberforth and walked dejectedly to sit with ‘her’ new housemates.

~2~

“I can’t do it, Mother,” Alma said.  
Kendra frowned. “You’ve only been there for a semester, Alma. I’m sorry that you miss Aberforth, but…”

“It’s not about that, Mother, you know it’s not! I’m sleeping with the girls, I have to wear the girl’s uniform, I have to listen to them talk about girl things.”  
“And what, exactly, do you mean by ‘girl things’, Alma Penelope Dumbledore?!”  
Oh. It wouldn’t do to offend Mother. She always seemed to take these things personally.

“Just – I don’t mean anything in particular. Girl things are just – whatever it is that the girls are doing that the boys are not. Mother, please - it wouldn’t matter if the girls were broom racing, I – just – can I just be a boy – please? Please, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

The past three and a half months had been excruciating. Before going to Hogwarts, Alma had been able to wear Aberforth’s clothing, and run around with him and some neighbourhood boys who knew ‘her’ as Brian, and said ‘he’ and ‘him.’ They could wrestle and climb trees, and no one questioned it. But at Hogwarts – at Hogwarts everyone knew him only as Alma. He had to live in the girls’ dorm, and the boys wouldn’t speak to him.  
Kendra sighed. “I’ll think on it. We can talk about it tomorrow.”

Alma nodded sadly and walked out of the back door into the garden, running smack into Abe.  
“What did she say?”  
“She said she’ll ‘think on it’ – I guess we know what that means.”  
“Same thing as always? Maybe not. Even she has to see how unhappy you are, Brian.”

“Thanks, Abe.” Alma gave Aberforth a hug. “Want to go see if the pond is frozen over?”  
“Yeah, let’s go.”

~3~

The next evening, after Ariana was asleep, Kendra met Abe and Alma in their bedroom. She sat on Alma’s bed.  
“Yes.”

“Yes?” asked Alma, not daring to hope.  
“Yes – after a fashion. This is not something that Wizards do, Alma. The other children – even their parents will not understand. They will not treat you like a boy – they will treat you like a freak, and I won’t have that. No son of mine will be attacked. I have already lost one child –“

“No – _son_ of yours? Mother?”  
Kendra hugged Alma. “That’s right. I’m sorry, Alma – I just – couldn’t see what difference it would make. But it makes a difference to you, doesn’t it?”  
Alma couldn’t speak through the tears, so Aberforth spoke up instead. “It does, Mother, it makes a difference to – Brian. Call him Brian? I think? Right?”  
Alma/Brian nodded.

“Ok, Brian. This is what we are going to have to do to keep you safe. Alma contracted dragon pox and died suddenly over break. Next year – you will go back to school two years ahead of your brother.”  
“ _Two years?!_ But –“  
“He can’t have some other twin, can he? No. And you have always been so advanced for your age.”

“But how –“  
“The story will be that you have been homeschooled, in order to help care for your ailing grandmother, but as she has died…”  
“Last year!”  
“Yes, but no one knows that.”  
That was true. No one in the Magical community kept track of fellow Witches’ and Wizards’ Muggle relatives. 

“I have a friend in France. Their rules about underage wand use are different. You will learn as much of the first three years’ curriculum as you can manage. And he has agreed to teach you some self-transfiguration for when you have to have your clothes off around your dorm mates.”  
“Mother!” Brian protested, embarrassed.  
“You need to learn how to do it, or I won't be able to send you to Hogwarts safely. It’s fine. I trust him. He was – one of my roommates at Hogwarts. He and his wife, both.”  
_He_ was one of her _roommates?_ How…? Oh!

“He has been helping me to learn more about… this sort of thing. Already he has me practicing brewing a potion for you to take when you're a bit older…”  
“Really?”  
“Really. You are my child. I wanted to be prepared in case this day came.”

“But – Alma would _die?_ ”  
“I think that in order for Brian to live, then, yes. Alma is going to have to die. But you have always been Brian for your brother, I think.”

Aberforth came over and sat next to Brian. He bumped his shoulder against his brother’s shoulder. “I’m going to like everyone knowing you are my brother. But I do not think it is fair that you are going to be my older brother. After all –“  
“It was just seven minutes, Abe! It barely counts!”  
“I’m still the oldest,” Aberforth said, grinning.  
“Well I’m the –“

“Children!” Kendra said, hiding a smile poorly, “There is one more thing to cover. Aberforth and your friends may call you Brian, but our family gives the children ‘A’ names. Let’s say, Albus? And Percival for your middle name – I’d like… with your father in prison…”  
Kendra looked on the verge of tears, so Brian quickly moved to say, “Albus Percival is fine, but… since I’ve been going by Brian, can that be in there too? Albus Percival Brian?”

Aberforth laughed. “Oh yes, very posh. You are practically part of the royal family with your two middle names. Why not a third? Albus Percival Wulfric Brian! Or a fourth…”  
“That will do, Aberforth,” Kendra said, sternly.  
_'Wulfric?'_ Brian mouthed to Aberforth incredulously. Aberforth flicked his leg and whispered back, “Posh frog bastard.”

“Language, Aberforth!” Kendra scolded. “Be nice to your sis- brother. We can take you shopping for mourning clothes tomorrow, and have Alma’s funeral the next day.”  
“Since my twin sister tragically died of dragon pox tonight, does that mean I get the rest of the year off to grieve?” Aberforth asked hopefully.  
“The next two weeks will be sufficient, Aberforth,” Kendra answered sternly. “Your education is important. Albus is going to have to study, too.”

“Albus? Not Brian?”  
“What you and Aberforth call each other is between the two of you. But I call Aberforth by his given name, and I will do the same for you. House rules.”  
"Albus isn't really his given name though, is it? After all, you gave him 'Albus Percival.' And I gave him 'Wulfric,' and he gave himself 'Brian,' so it seems that his given name is actually 'Albus Percival Wulfric Brian,' which is a lot to say every time, but if you are going to insist -”  
Kendra stood and put her hands on her hips. “Aberforth Polonius Dumbledore! That is more than enough back talk out of you!”  
Brian elbowed Abe. “You only get all the names if you’re in trouble, mate.”

Kendra closed her eyes and sighed. Brian saw her lips moving. Was she literally counting to ten?  
She opened her eyes, and in a controlled voice, said, “I am glad the two of you are in such high spirits, but I have neither the time nor the energy for this descent into frivolity. Go to bed, both of you.”  
Kendra hugged Brian and Aberforth, then left the room and shut the door behind her.

“So,” Aberforth asked cautiously. “How are you?”  
“I think – I think I’m great, actually. I – I get to be a boy!”  
“You’ve _been_ a boy, so… that only seems right.”  
“Yeah, but, I mean, I didn’t think Mother was going to let me…”  
Aberforth didn’t say anything to that, but Brian knew that Aberforth hadn’t thought Mother would allow it either. He had tried to comfort Brian with ‘maybe it will be different this time,’ but they both knew how many times Aberforth had said that before.

“I’m scared, Abe. I don’t want to go to France.”  
“I don’t want you to go to France either. And I _really_ don’t want you to not have any classes with me, but – would you rather go to France? Or go back to wearing skirts and living in the girls’ dorm, and having everyone saying, ‘ _she’s_ such an idiot,’ and ‘ _her_ hair is always so messy,’ and –“  
Brian stuck out his tongue at Aberforth. “I am going to France to avoid them saying, ‘ _she’s_ so good looking,’ and ‘ _she’s_ the most brilliant _girl_ in our year,’ flattering though that may be.”

Aberforth laughed. “Yeah, your ego is intact, at least.”  
Brian pushed Aberforth, and he fell back onto Brian’s bed.  
“You want company tonight?”  
“Merlin. Yes, please,” Brian answered.

After putting out the lights, Brian asked, “This self-transfiguration – what if I can’t do it?”  
“Honestly, Brian? It’s annoying how good you are at transfiguration. And this friend of Mother’s sounds like… someone who knows how to do it. With a few months practice, you’re going to learn it. I’m sure of it.”

“But what if someone figures it out? Who I really am?”  
“Who you really are is Brian. Though you are probably going to have to go by Albus at school. I can’t believe Mother gave you such a stupid name.”  
“It’s not as stupid as Aberforth.”  
“Shut up,” Aberforth said good-naturedly, “And go to sleep. You’re meant to be dying or whatever. And I have to go _shopping._ ”

When Kendra came to wake them in the morning, she found her two sons curled up in bed together. She smiled and shut the door. Fifteen more minutes wouldn’t inconvenience anybody.

**Author's Note:**

> So - the name shift... I went from Alma to Alma/Brian to Brian in the narration to signify a key transition. While Brian has always thought of himself as Brian in one way, in another way, he has thought of himself as trapped in the identity of Alma - so the Alma identity is real, even if unwanted. When his mother extends to him the possibility of never having to live as Alma again, he can freely take on the name Brian.  
> Although now he is also saddled with 'Albus Percival.' And 'Wulfric,' if his brother gets his way.


End file.
